French Foreign Minister Louis de Guiringaud, currently visiting the Middle East, has cancelled plans to meet in Beirut with PLO chief Yasir Arafat. A government spokesman said the decision was taken as a sign of French “displeasure” over the visit to France, under false identity, of Palestinian terrorist Abu Daoud last month.
But observers here view the snub to Arafat as the most important of several recent moves to improve France’s relations with Israel. Those relations were strained almost to the breaking point last month when a French court freed Daoud before either Israel or West Germany could file formal extradition requests.
Sources said the decision not to meet with Arafat marked a definite break with France’s past policy that always welcomed contacts with the PLO. Former Foreign Minister Jean Sauvanargues met with Arafat only last year on a Middle East trip.
Two other signs that France is anxious to thaw its relations with Israel were the reconfirmation of an invitation to Premier Yitzhak Rabin to pay an official visit to Paris and the speed with which French and Israeli experts are moving to re-examine the Franco-Israeli extradition agreement.
RABIN INVITATION RECONFIRMED
The French invitation was extended to Rabin several months ago, but the crisis over Daoud intervened. This week, the government reconfirmed the invitation, stressing that it will be an “official visit” with all the protocol and pageantry such a visit implies. A tentative date has been set for the end of September or early October. The invitation will apply to Rabin or to his successor.
Sources here stressed that this is the first time an incumbent Israeli Premier has been invited officially to France. Former Premiers David Ben Gurion and Levi Eshkol came to Paris on “private visits” although they met with President Charles de Gaulle and were extended the courtesies due their rank.
At the same time, de Guiringaud’s projected visit to Israel has been re-scheduled for March 30. It was to have taken place this month but was postponed because of the Daoud affair. The French diplomat is in Beirut today on a “fact-finding” mission to the Mideast. He will also visit Damascus. Amman and Cairo.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has set Friday. Feb, 18 for the first meeting on the extradition accord. The purpose is to review the pact and clarify it in order to avoid a repetition of the Abu Daoud episode. Meir Rosen, legal advisor to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, is due here tomorrow to advise the Israeli delegation in the talke.
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